Today’s Model Sheet Monday art comes from the very famous shows Powerpuff Girls and Dexter’s Laboratory. Both were great shows that broke new ground back in the early 90’s and paved the way for creator driven content which is still prevalent today. Many of the industry’s top talent came out of these shows such as Genndy Tartakovsky who recently finished up Hotel Transylvania at Sony and is rumored to be doing the sequel as well as helming some sort of animated Popeye project at Sony, Craig McCracken who is heading up his new show called Wander Over Yonder,  and Paul Rudish who’s now in charge of the new Mickey Mouse shorts at Disney. Many more industry vets who make the shows you love got started on these two productions and many more shows aped their distinct style.
From Wikipedia:
The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Cartoon Network Studios for Cartoon Network. The show centers on Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, three girls with superpowers, as well as their “father”, the brainy scientist Professor Utonium, who all live in the fictional city of Townsville, USA. The girls are frequently called upon by the town’s childlike and naive mayor to help fight nearby criminals using their powers.
McCracken originally developed the show in 1992 as a cartoon short entitled Whoopass Stew! while in his second year at CalArts. Following a name change, Cartoon Network featured the first Powerpuff Girls pilots in its animation showcase program World Premiere Toons in 1995 and 1996. The series made its official debut as a Cartoon Cartoon on November 18, 1998, with the final episode airing on March 25, 2005. A total of 78 episodes were aired in addition to two shorts, a Christmas special, a feature film, and a tenth anniversary special. Additionally, the series has been nominated for six Emmy Awards, nine Annie Awards, and a Kids’ Choice Award during its run. Spin-off media include an anime, three CD soundtracks, a home video collection, and a series of video games, as well as various licensed merchandise. The series has received generally positive reception and won four awards.
Dexter’s Laboratory (commonly abbreviated as Dexter’s Lab) is an American comic science fiction animated children’s television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network. The series follows Dexter, a boy-genius with a secret laboratory filled with his collection of inventions. He constantly battles his sister Dee Dee, who always gains access despite his best efforts to keep her out, as well as his arch-rival and neighbor, Mandark. The series’ first two seasons contain additional segments: Dial M for Monkey, which focuses on Dexter’s pet lab monkey-turned-superhero, and The Justice Friends, about a trio of superheroes who share an apartment.
Tartakovsky first pitched the series to Hanna-Barbera‘s animated shorts showcase World Premiere Toons, basing it on student films he produced while attending the California Institute of the Arts. A pilot aired on Cartoon Network in February 1995, and in August viewer approval ratings convinced the network to order a half-hour series, which premiered on April 27, 1996. By 1999, 52 episodes and a television movie had been produced, and Tartakovsky then left the series to begin work on his other projects, Samurai Jack and Star Wars: Clone Wars. In 2001, the network revived the series under a different production team at Cartoon Network Studios, and after 26 more episodes, the series ended on November 20, 2003.
Dexter’s Laboratory received high ratings and became one of Cartoon Network’s most popular and successful original series. During its run, the series was nominated for 4 Primetime Emmy Awards, 4 Golden Reel Awards, and 9 Annie Awards, winning 3 additional Annie Awards. The series is notable for helping launch the careers of several cartoonists, such as Craig McCracken (The Powerpuff Girls, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and Wander Over Yonder), Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show), Butch Hartman (The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom and T.U.F.F. Puppy), and Rob Renzetti (My Life as a Teenage Robot, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, and Gravity Falls). Spin-off media include a series of comic books, DVD and VHS releases, music albums, collectible toys, and video games.
